Get Chartered knowledge and understanding

Guidance
The required level
IChemE upholds a minimum level of knowledge and understanding required for qualification as a Chartered
Member (MIChemE).
As well as core chemical engineering knowledge, this includes:

an advanced breadth and depth of chemical engineering knowledge and its application; and
a sufficient capability to aggregate learning into a complex open ended project (such as design or
research work).

The main areas of knowledge and understanding IChemE looks for when assessing an individual, or accrediting a
degree against the standard required for a Chartered Chemical Engineer, are:

underpinning maths and science;

core chemical engineering;

engineering practice;

design practice;

wider aspects eg sustainability, process safety, transferable skills, awareness of commercial

implications;

major design and/or research work;

advanced depth and breadth of chemical engineering.

IChemE does not publish a definitive guide of the precise knowledge and understanding required because the
content of degree programmes and/or an individual engineers learning experience will differ and yet may attain
outcomes of an equally and acceptably high standard.

Check
Please use the online self diagnosis tool www.getchartered.org/selfdiagnosis to check what to provide
as evidence of your chemical engineering knowledge and understanding in support of an application to get
chartered and read any suggested further guidance or information.
If further clarification is required, a chargeable preliminary appraisal service is available.

Preliminary career appraisal

As an alternative or addition to the self diagnosis tool, IChemE offers a preliminary appraisal service, for which an
administration fee is charged.
The following information is required:

any academic qualifications including non-chemical engineering degree(s):

degree title(s);

university or college name(s);

start and end dates of study (MM/YY MM/YY);

design/research project(s) details if relevant;

relevant work-based training;

work experience;

current employment.

IChemE then checks:

all accredited and recognised degree programmes;

case history of degree programmes of which we have previous knowledge;

Get Chartered knowledge and understanding

and reviews:

knowledge and understanding achieved against defined learning outcome standards.

It may be helpful to know that because national education systems vary across the world, our appraisal is not
based on:

degree title;

number of years studied;

country of study;

method of learning.

Following this preliminary appraisal we will confirm whether any additional learning is advised, what evidence to
submit in support of your application (eg a technical report), or whether we have sufficient existing evidence.
If the preliminary appraisal indicates a need for further learning in one or more specific areas, we will advise on
how to address the gap(s). This may be:

a recommendation of relevant formal learning modules; or

approximate guidance on a particular area and duration of work experience you would yet need to gain
in a chemical, biochemical or process engineering environment.

Please note that a career appraisal will only determine your application requirements and is not an application in
itself. If you are able, we therefore strongly recommend that you follow the guidance provided through the self
diagnosis tool.
Find out how to request a career appraisal www.icheme.org/careerappraisal

Providing evidence
You will need to submit evidence that your chemical engineering knowledge and understanding meet the
minimum level for a Chartered Chemical Engineer, as indicated in the self diagnosis. The main ways in which we
will ask you to provide evidence are as follows:
1.

relevant degree certificate(s);

2.

course transcript(s);

3.

technical report;

4.

technical report focused on demonstrating the ability to integrate knowledge into design or similar complex
project eg research;

5.

technical report focused on demonstrating further learning in industry;

6.

a combination of two or more aspects.

A technical report would be a piece of written work, normally based on a project completed in industry. Academic
faculty can present a collection of relevant academic papers. Further guidance is provided on the requirements
for each report type.
You are strongly advised to use the self diagnosis tool to determine what specific evidence is required according
to your individual circumstances.

Assessment
If a technical report is required this should be submitted as part of a full application (including evidence of
professional experience www.GetChartered.org/professional_experience), except in the case of a technical
report focused on further learning in industry. A technical report focused on further learning should be submitted
for review and interview during your early career and before a full application to get chartered.

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